Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD Review
Review Date: October 8th 2008
Author: Gavin Stoker
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Image Quality
All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 10M (3648 x 2736) JPEG image size option, which gives an average image size of around 2-4Mb.
With plenty of sunlight in evidence, the Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD delivers colourful, well-saturated images, though highlight detail occasionally suffers under such circumstances and pixel fringing is evident between areas of high contrast, if only under close inspection. Generally, images are a little soft and fine detail smudged when compared with the likes of the Nikon Coolpix P80 or the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H50, and so the S2000HD's output benefits from an application of unsharp mask in Photoshop.
More positively, and especially so given its 27.6mm equivalent wide angle setting, images appear relatively free from barrel distortion – it's slight rather than pronounced – at its widest point. There's no denying too that the focus range on offer is well suited to capturing candids and skittish wildlife, though again, at full telephoto there's a softness to images amplified by the concentration on details. As for image noise, or lack of, shots are clean up to and including ISO 800, with some smudging of detail is apparent at ISO 1600, but not unacceptably low. Move above this and resolution drops to partially limit the appearance of noise, top ISO 6400 setting looking more akin to a TV signal from the 1950s (albeit in colour).
So, for the most part, the Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD's 10 megapixel, fine quality JPEG images are colourful yet natural, detailed without being razor sharp and, as noted, pleasingly free from pronounced barrel distortion at maximum wideangle. The occasional user will be pleased, but I'm not sure this is really the ideal lightweight back-up for a digital SLR.
Noise
There are 7 ISO settings available on the Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD which you can select at any time if the camera is in the normal shooting mode. Shots are clean up to and including ISO 800, with some smudging of detail is apparent at ISO 1600, but not unacceptably low. Move above this and resolution drops to partially limit the appearance of noise, top ISO 6400 setting looking more akin to a TV signal from the 1950s (albeit in colour). Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting:
ISO 100 (100% Crop) |
ISO 200 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 400 (100% Crop) |
ISO 800 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 1600 (100% Crop) |
ISO 3200 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 6400 (100% Crop) |
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Sharpening
Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are little soft at the default sharpening setting and benefit from some further sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop.
Original
(100% Crop) |
Sharpened (100% Crop) |
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Chromatic Aberrations
The Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD did suffer from chromatic aberrations during the review. On close inspection pixel fringing is evident between areas of high contrast, as shown in the examples below.
Example
1 (100% Crop) |
Example
2 (100% Crop) |
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Macro
The Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD offers a Super-macro setting that allows you to focus on a subject that is just 1cm away from the camera when the lens is set to wide-angle. The first image shows how close you can get to the subject (in this case a compact flash card). The second image is a 100% crop.
Macro Shot |
Macro Shot (100% Crop) |
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Flash
The flash settings on the Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD are Auto, On, Auto Red-eye Reduction, Slow Synchro and Off. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.
Flash Off - Wide Angle (27.6mm) |
Auto Flash - Wide Angle (27.6mm) |
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Flash Off - Telephoto (414mm) |
Auto Flash - Telephoto (414mm) |
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And here are some shots of yours truly. As you can see, both the Flash On setting and the Red-Eye Reduction option caused a small amount of red-eye.
Flash On |
Flash On (100% Crop) |
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Flash - Red-Eye Reduction |
Flash - Red-Eye Reduction (100% Crop) |
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Night Shot
The Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD's maximum shutter speed is 15 seconds, which is great news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 1/4th second, aperture of f/3.5 at ISO 1600. I've included a 100% crop of the image to show what the quality is like.
Night Shot |
Night Shot (100% Crop) |
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the same camera model supplied by other DIWA
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